Cow Innards and Fresh Paint

Daniel and I boarded a plan in America exactly one month ago. One month in and we feel like we’re at a full sprint. God certainly has blessed us with many opportunities to serve Him, whether it’s in our home village or at Good Shepherd’s Fold. As the weight of ministry gets heavier, so does our need for your prayer and support. Let me try and help you pray by getting you up to speed a bit.

Yes, we are still living in Nyenga village. What a wonderful experience this has been for us. Our neighbors are inviting and friendly. I never thought the phrase, “You are welcome here” could carry such weight. As an obvious foreigner, being “welcomed” is not assumed. But God went before us, preparing the hearts of our neighbors, and we already feel at home. I have found that the mundane tasks such as washing dishes, clothes, and cooking are what spur at least the beginnings of relationships. Whether it is my inexperienced questions on how to complete simple tasks, or plea for help when I have trouble lighting my stove, my neighbors consistently display grace towards me. What a blessing. In fact, one Sunday I returned home from a morning of worship at Light of the World church, and my neighbor had prepared soup and sweet potatoes for me. The soup was enriched with cow innards – a delicacy in Uganda – so let’s just say that my tongue is unrefined. I happily stored the soup for my soon to arrive guests: Dad, George Byabagambi, Joel McCall, and Ray.

Which brings me to my next update! Dad, George, Joel, and Ray came to Good Shepherd’s Fold for a few days. It was wonderful to spend time with them, especially dad. Although we had only parted ways 2 weeks before, it felt like we had months to catch up on. We enjoyed exchanging the latest on life in Elverson and in Nyenga. The best part was having dad spend the night at our home in Nyenga. If you recall, our house is about 10x10 feet. However, we managed to fit another single mattress in there for dad to sleep on. He was a great help in getting the charcoal stove going and even took a bucket bath in the morning. How fun it was to share a piece of our life with dad! After conducting a day-long pastor conference at GSF, the Equipping Leaders International (ELI) team hit the road.

Reunited!

ELI Pastor Conference

Dad made some time for toddler hugs

By the time the ELI team left, Engineering Ministries International (the ministry that Daniel is serving under) had a project team at Good Shepherd’s Fold. This team of 13 worked hard to plan a secondary school for Amazima Ministries as well as master plan for Good Shepherd’s Fold – all in one week’s time. The trip seemed to officially kick off Daniel’s building project here at GSF. We are thankful that this building project (the Fish House) is well on its way. Stay tuned for the ground breaking!

Daniel with future home-owner, David Fish

Do you see Daniel? He was picking up some survey points up on the water tower.

After nearly a month of sleeping on our mattress on the floor, we finally got a bed. Our bed takes up over half of our total floor space, so it is great to have it off of the ground and be able to store items under the bed. We also recently painted our room light blue and adorned our windows with curtains made by my mom and sister, Kimberly. To top it off, Heidi Boyer sent us a great rug and doormat. What a sweet touch of home. Unfortunately, the last pictures that I took of our house do not include the bed, curtains, or rug – you’ll have to check back for those.

We’ve been granted an office! Good Shepherd’s Fold allowed us to settle into an office on campus. Although Daniel’s work time will soon be primarily out on the construction site, we are enjoying the opportunity to spend our work hours together for the time being.

Tomorrow Daniel and I are heading to Kampala for a weekend getaway. We will be celebrating Valentine’s Day and our 6th month wedding anniversary. Throw in a trip to Entebbe to visit dad before he flies back to America, and you have one fun-filled weekend! We are looking forward to the time away and pray that God uses it for His glory.

 Please take the time to pray for us this week. We need it!

1) Corinne is working with an intern from another children’s home. The intern is 19 years old and looking to learn everything from computer skills to organizing baby clothes. Pray for Corinne as she mentors Jalia during the 10-week internship!

2) Like I mentioned, Daniel’s work is at full throttle. Pray for him as he coordinates these beginning stages of the building project. He needs wisdom!

3) Pray for our marriage, that God would continue to sustain, grow, and protect us.

4) Pray that Daniel and I would always put our time with God before other ministry responsibilities. If time with God is never worth compromising, why does it seem to be the easiest thing to drop? As we settle into our new schedules, we want to be sure to prioritize from the get-go.

5) We welcomed a new little boy here to GSF. He is active and playful, but he's also mute. Pray for his transition into GSF and for communication methods to quickly develop between him, his house mom, and his house brothers. His name is John.

The new little boy, John

I've been handing out Christmas packages lately. Christmas usually comes  a little late around here, but the kids don't mind! Here is my adorable little friend, Gloria.

Thank you for lifting us up before the throne of God! If there’s any way we can pray for you, feel free to let us know. May God bless you!